1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method that feeds spline to a worker on demand without the need for the worker to attend to the mechanism and the mechanism helps prevent the spline from becoming entangled or otherwise unworkable during field installation of the spline, the method relying on the use of a spooling system that holds and pays out the spline.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Screen spline is a thin elongate flexible member, often made from rubber or neoprene, that is received within an appropriate receiving groove on a screen frame in order to hold the screen mesh securely on the screen frame. Generally, the spline receiving groove completely encircles the frame and is located just beyond the outer periphery of the opening for the screen mesh thereby allowing the spline to hold the screen mesh on all sides in order to prevent gaps which gaps would make the screen less attractive, make the screen more prone to failure, and would provide an opening for insects to ingress into the location for which the screen is being used to defend. A screen installer positions a section of screen mesh so that the mesh completely covers the opening which the mesh is protecting and also overlies the spline receiving groove. Thereafter, a free end of spline is positioned into the receiver and additional spline is progressively inlaid into the receiver typically aided by a spline installing tool which is a hand-held device that has a roller on one or both ends, the roller pushing the spline into the groove so that the spline snugly holds the screen within the groove. This process continues until the worker completely encircles the opening of the frame with the spline and comes back to the initial free end of the spline at which point the spline is cut creating a second free end which is positioned within the groove so that is closely abuts the first free end thereby forming a continuous loop of spline. This gives a solid attachment of screen mesh to screen frame.
Typically, spline comes on spools, at least for commercial users of spline. A worker brings the spool to the point of work and either unravels a sufficient amount of the spline for the job at hand or unravels small amounts of the spline and further unravels more spline as more spline is needed. Each of these methods suffers from certain shortcomings. If the worker unravels the spline, which unraveling may total 20 feet or more for screen doors or large windows, the spline is usually allowed to drop to the ground. When positioned on the ground, the spline is subject to damage from various elements including being cut on job site debris, being crimped from being stepped on or otherwise pinched, etc. If the spline is cut, then the loose end generally must be discarded as most screen installers prefer to use a single section of spline per screen frame and many contractors and homeowners require it. If the spline is crimped sufficiently, then the crimped portion must be cut away and again the loose end of the spline must be discarded. Each of these results in wasted material and time delays. For workers that desire to avoid the potential for waste and who prefer to unravel small sections of spline as the spline is needed, such workers either place the spline spool on a work surface, such as a table or bench, and either push the spool along as more spline is needed or unwind the spline with their free hand. Those workers who place the spline spool on the ground typically push the spool with their foot to unravel more spline. Either method requires to worker to turn way from the spline insertion task in order to retrieve more spline, thereby slowing the installation process. Additionally, the worker runs the risk of the spool rolling away and unraveling a large amount of spline which may become tangled or otherwise damaged requiring that some spline be cut away and discarded.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a system whereby spline is available on demand to a worker installing the spline into the receiving groove of a screen frame, which system address the above stated problems in the art. Specifically, such a system must allow a worker to have spline readily available whenever the spline is needed without the need to turn away from the actual installation or otherwise to take time away from the installation of the spline into the spline groove. Such a system must minimize the risk of damage to the spline so as to not waste spline. Ideally, such any devices used with system should be of simple and straightforward construction and be easy to use and maintain.